Western Fence Lizard vs. Common Sagebrush Lizard

Two spiny lizards of the same genus that live together across southern and western Idaho; both are grey-brown with rows of dark marks, and males of both have blue belly patches. A: the Western Fence Lizard's back scales are large, keeled and pointed; the Sagebrush Lizard's are smaller and finer, so it looks less spiny. B: the Western Fence Lizard has yellow or orange on the rear of the thighs and under the legs; the Sagebrush Lizard often has rusty orange in the armpit and a black bar on the shoulder. The Western Fence Lizard is larger (up to 3.5 in head and body vs 2.5 in). In hand, the scales on the rear of the thigh are keeled in the fence lizard, mostly tiny and granular in the Sagebrush Lizard.

Photographs via iNaturalist under Creative Commons licences; the photographers are credited on the sheet.

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